Amara did not know where she got the courage, but she stepped closer and touched the rope tied around the mermaid’s hands.
The mermaid flinched in pain, but looked at Amara with hope.
Amara tried to untie the rope, but it was too tight. Her fingers were shaking as she pulled at the knot, her ears straining to hear the footsteps of the hunters drawing closer.
“Please, please, please,” the mermaid kept whispering weakly.
Amara felt sweat on her forehead. Her heart was beating like a drum, and her hands moved frantically to loosen the knot.
The hunters’ voices were now very close.
“Let’s see if we can take her,” one of them said.
Amara’s eyes widened in fear. The pot of water she had left on the ground was still there, and it would be easy for the hunters to know someone else was around.
Amara looked at the mermaid, and the mermaid looked back at her.
At that moment, Amara knew that her life would change forever because of what she was about to do.
But just before she could untie the last knot, the hunters’ footsteps stopped very close to them, and Amara quickly hid herself.
Her heart was beating fast like a drum. Her hands were shaking, and sweat was running down her back even though the early morning was still cold. The mermaid was breathing heavily, tears rolling down her cheeks as she looked at Amara with fear and pain in her eyes. She knew the hunters would soon find her and take her away.
Amara closed her eyes for a moment and whispered in her heart, God, please help us. Don’t let them find us here.
Just as the hunters were about to turn toward the back of the bamboo tree, one of the hunters, who was walking behind the others, suddenly screamed loudly, “An antelope!”
The other hunters stopped immediately and turned around.
“Where is it? Where is it?” they shouted.
“There! There! Running toward the other side!” the hunter said, pointing with his gun into the bushes.
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